Romance & Cigarettes is a quirky, character-driven musical that centers on flawed, working-class people rather than identity politics. Characters are defined by personality, relationships, and choices, not by forced diversity or ticking representation boxes. If anything, the story leans into old-fashioned melodrama over modern ideological concerns.

The film largely upholds traditional views on family, marriage, and infidelity, with masculine and feminine archetypes present (sometimes exaggeratedly so). Religion, family, and masculinity are depicted with a sense of gritty reality, not scorn. There's certainly no effort to rewrite tradition to suit a contemporary agenda.

While playful and irreverent, the film explores a variety of perspectives and morally gray areas without painting any one view as villainous or outdated. It does not push a singular ideology, instead depicting debate and conflict between flawed, complex characters.